A judicial investigation has been opened for the murder of a minor under 15, in connection with rape, acts of torture and barbarism, the judicial source said.
The prosecutor’s office has requested that the two suspects be put in custody, she added.
The main suspect is a woman aged 24. She was arrested at dawn on Saturday in Bois-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine). The suspect, who suffers from different psychological disorders, had been seen on surveillance cameras of the building where the schoolgirl lived.
The witness who reported the woman had also been asked by the suspect to help to move the bulky suitcase in return for money, according to several media.
The 43-year-old man, who will also be presented to the investigating judge later today, is suspected of having given shelter to the suspect and driven the vehicle in which she found herself in.
The girl’s parents were worried after their daughter didn’t come home from high school and alerted the police of her disappearance, as well as the presence of this unknown young woman in their residence, located in the XIXth district of Paris.
It was a 42-year-old homeless man who discovered an opaque plastic box containing the body of the teenager, in the interior court of the building where the family of the victim resides.
The body of the schoolgirl was hidden by fabrics, according to sources close to the case.
The autopsy performed Saturday determined that the victim, known as Lola, had died of asphyxiation, said a source close to the investigation. The first findings had reported significant wounds on the neck.
In total, six people have been placed in custody during this investigation conducted by the Criminal Brigade of the Parisian judicial police.
Four of them have been released without prosecution at this stage.
Multiple investigations have been carried out in order to establish the course of events and the motives of the perpetrators.
The rectorate has announced the setting up of psychological support cells for the students and staff of the school where Lola was enrolled and of the schools in the area.
